Polymer emulsions for use in crude oil recovery

a technology of polymer emulsions and crude oil, which is applied in the direction of fluid removal, chemistry apparatus and processes, and wellbore/well accessories, etc., can solve the problems of poor sweep efficiency, and low molecular weight recovery, so as to increase improve the recovery of crude oil. , the effect of increasing the recovery of crude oil

Active Publication Date: 2016-02-04
CHAMPIONX USA INC
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  • Summary
  • Abstract
  • Description
  • Claims
  • Application Information

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0005]The present invention is directed to methods for increasing recovery of crude oil from a subterranean hydrocarbon-containing formation.
[0006]In one aspect, the invention is directed to increasing recovery of crude oil from a subterranean hydrocarbon-containing formation. The method comprises injecting an aqueous flooding fluid into a well that is in contact with the subterranean hydrocarbon-containing formation. The aqueous flooding fluid comprises injection water and a mobility control agent and the mobility control agent comprises a cross-linked water-soluble polymer. The cross-links break to form the water-soluble polymer having fewer cross-links; wherein the aqueous flooding fluid as injected into the well has a filter ratio of from 1 to about 1.2 and a flow rate of at least 0.1 g/s when the membrane filter size is 5 microns and the pressure is 20 psi.
[0007]For the methods of increasing recovery of crude oil from a subterranean hydrocarbon-containing formation described herein, the mobility control agent can comprise an emulsion of an aqueous phase and an oil phase. The aqueous phase can comprise the cross-linked ...

Problems solved by technology

One problem encountered with waterflooding operations is the relatively poor sweep efficiency of the water, i.e., the water can channel through certain portions of the reservoir as it travels from the injection well(s) to the production well(s), thereby bypassing other portions of the reservoir.
Poor sweep efficiency can be due, for example, to differences in the...

Method used

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  • Polymer emulsions for use in crude oil recovery
  • Polymer emulsions for use in crude oil recovery

Examples

Experimental program
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example 1

General Procedure for Preparation of Poly(Acrylic Acid-Acrylamide)

[0207]A poly(acrylic acid-acrylamide) product was produced by polymerizing a water-in-oil emulsion including an aqueous monomer phase and an external hydrocarbon oil phase. The monomer phase included an aqueous mixture of about 29 mole % of acrylic acid and 71 mole % of acrylamide, neutralized in an ice bath with a sodium hydroxide solution to pH 7-8.5. In addition, a cross-linker of glyoxal bisacrylamide containing solution, a chain transfer agent of sodium formate, and a chelant of tetrasodium diethylenediaminetetraacetate were added to the monomer phase. The glyoxal bisacrylamide-containing solution was prepared by adding glyoxal into an acrylamide aqueous solution neutralized with a sodium hydroxide solution to pH 8 to 8.5 and stirring the mixture at 37° C. for 2 to 3 hours. The oil phase included a hydrocarbon oil and one or more surfactants.

[0208]The emulsion was formed by adding the monomer phase to the oil pha...

example 2

Product I

[0211]Product I was produced by following the general procedure of Example 1. The monomer phase consisted of 370.676 g of 50.30 wt. % acrylamide, 137.082 g of deionized water and 78.730 g of acrylic acid, neutralized in an ice-bath with 84.000 g of 50 wt. % aqueous sodium hydroxide solution. In addition, a glyoxal bisacrylamide-containing solution comprising of 0.120 g of 1 wt. % glyoxal solution, 9.940 g of 50.3 wt. % acrylamide and 0.80 g of 1 wt. % sodium hydroxide solution, 0.350 g of sodium formate and 0.090 g of tetrasodium diethylenediaminetetraacetate were added to the monomer phase. The oil phase consisted of 280.000 g of a parrafinic solvent (Exxsol D80), 13.060 g of sorbitan monooleate (Span® 80) and 21.940 g of polyoxyethylene sorbitan trioleate (Tween® 85). For the polymerization, 0.528 g of 2,2′-azobisisobutryonitrile was used.

example 3

Product II

[0212]Product II was produced by following the general procedure of Example 1. The monomer phase consisted of 370.676 g of 50.30 wt. % acrylamide, 137.257 g of deionized water and 78.730 g of acrylic acid, neutralized in an ice bath with 84.000 g of 50 wt. % aqueous sodium hydroxide solution. In addition, a glyoxal bisacrylamide containing solution comprising of 0.120 g of 1 wt. % glyoxal solution, 9.940 g of 50.3 wt. % acylamide and 0.80 g of 1 wt. % sodium hydroxide solution, 0.175 g of sodium formate and 0.090 g of tetrasodium diethylenediaminetetraacetate were added to the monomer phase. The oil phase consisted of 280.000 g of parrafinic solvent (Exxsol D80), 13.060 g of sorbitan monooleate (Span® 80) and 21.940 g of polyoxyethylene sorbitan trioleate (Tween® 85). For the polymerization, 0.528 g of 2,2′-azobisisobutryonitrile was used.

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Abstract

Emulsions of mobility control polymers can be used to increase recovery of crude oil from a subterranean hydrocarbon-containing formation. A flooding fluid comprising the polymer emulsions are injected into a well that is in contact with the subterranean hydrocarbon-containing formation. The polymers can be temporarily cross-linked and have protected shear degradation and improved injectivity into the well; the shear resistance can be measured in terms of viscosity loss due to shear, and the improved injectivity can be measured in terms of the flooding fluid's filter ratio, flow rate, and viscosity.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0001]The present invention relates to improved emulsions of mobility control polymers that can be used to increase recovery of crude oil from a subterranean hydrocarbon-containing formation. A flooding fluid comprising the polymer emulsions are injected into a well that is in contact with the subterranean hydrocarbon-containing formation. The polymers can be temporarily cross-linked via labile cross-linking moieties resulting in shear protection and improved injectivity into the well Shear protection can be measured in terms of viscosity loss due to shear, and the improved injectivity can be measured in terms of the flooding fluid's filter ratio, flow rate, and viscosity.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]In the recovery of oil from oil-bearing reservoirs, it is typically possible to recover only minor portions of the original oil in place by primary recovery methods which utilize only the natural forces present in the reservoir. Thus a variety of supplemental t...

Claims

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Application Information

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IPC IPC(8): C09K8/588C09K8/584E21B43/16
CPCC09K8/584C09K8/588E21B43/16C09K8/58C09K8/60
Inventor LI, XIAOJIN HARRYREED, PETER E.ANDREWS, WILLIAM J.
Owner CHAMPIONX USA INC
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